Stocks in Earnings Spotlight as Traders Await Earnings

The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) will unveil its latest earnings on Wednesday, February 22, 2012. The average analyst estimate is for profit of 62 cents per share, a rise of 19.2% from the company’s actual earnings for the year-ago quarter. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved up from 61 cents. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved up. It has been unchanged at 62 cents during the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 13.7% versus last year to $1.99.

The company fell in line with estimates last quarter after topping forecasts the quarter before. After coming in above the mean estimate by one cent in the second quarter, the company fell in line with expectations by reporting net income of 53 cents per share last quarter. Analysts are projecting a rise of 11.1% in revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $6.72 billion.

Competitors to Watch: Gordmans Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:GMAN), Citi Trends, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTRN), Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMRT), Syms Corp. (NASDAQ:SYMS), Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT), Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST), Fred’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRED), Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M), and Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS).

Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL) will unveil its latest earnings on Wednesday, February 22, 2012. The average estimate of analysts is for profit of 3 cents per share, a swing from a loss of 10 cents in the year-earlier quarter. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved down from 4 cents. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved down. It has been unchanged at 3 cents during the last month. Analysts are projecting net income of 35 cents per share versus net loss of 5 cents last year.

The company beat estimates last quarter after falling short in the prior two. In the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year, the company reported profit of 9 cents per share versus a mean estimate of net income of 5 cents per share. In the third quarter of the last fiscal year, the company missed estimates by one cent. On average, analysts predict $360.8 million in revenue this quarter, a rise of 8% from the year-ago quarter. Analysts are forecasting total revenue of $1.67 billion for the year, a rise of 12.8% from last year’s revenue of $1.48 billion.

Competitors to Watch: PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM), M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:MDC), D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE:DHI), KB Home (NYSE:KBH), Lennar Corporation (NYSE:LEN), Comstock Homebuilding Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHCI), Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH), The Ryland Group, Inc. (NYSE:RYL), Standard Pacific Corp. (NYSE:SPF), Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:HOV), NVR, Inc. (NYSE:NVR), Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (NYSE:BZH), and M/I Homes, Inc. (NYSE:MHO)

To contact the reporter on this story: Derek Hoffman at staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Damien Hoffman at editors@wallstcheatsheet.com